a needle, Sir, in my basket, and thread too. Will you let me
try to mend it for you? I think I could do it neater than you could.'

Even Mr Codlin had nothing to urge against a proposal so seasonable.
Nelly, kneeling down beside the box, was soon busily engaged in her
task, and accomplishing it to a miracle.

While she was thus engaged, the merry little man looked at her with an
interest which did not appear to be diminished when he glanced at her
helpless companion. When she had finished her work he thanked her, and
inquired whither they were travelling.

'N--no further to-night, I think,' said the child, looking towards her
grandfather.

'If you're wanting a place to stop at,' the man remarked, 'I should
advise you to take up at the same house with us. That's it. The long,
low, white house there. It's very cheap.'

The old man, notwithstanding his fatigue, would have remained in the
churchyard all night if his new acquaintances had remained there too.
As he yielded to this suggestion a ready and rapturous assent, they all
rose and walked away together; he keeping close to the box of puppets
in which he was quite absorbed, the merry little man carrying it slung
over his arm by a strap attached to it for the purpose, Nelly having
hold of her grandfather's hand, and Mr Codlin sauntering slowly behind,
casting up at the church tower and neighbouring trees such looks as he
was accustomed in town-practice to direct to drawing-room and nursery
windows, when seeking for a profitable spot on which to plant the show.

The public-house was kept by a fat old landlord and landlady who made
no objection to receiving their new guests, but praised Nelly's beauty
and were at once prepossessed in her behalf. There was no other
company in the kitchen but the two showmen, and the child felt very
thankful that they had fallen upon such good quarters. The landlady
was very much astonished to learn that they had come all the way from
London, and appeared to have no little curiosity touching their farther
destination. The child parried her inquiries as well as she could, and
with no great trouble, for finding that they appeared to give her pain,
the old lady desisted.

'These two gentlemen have ordered supper in an hour's time,' she said,
taking her into the bar; 'and your best plan will be to sup with them.
Meanwhile you shall have a little taste of something that'll do you
good, for I'm sure you must want it after all you'